Road tamper and strike off



Jan. 1,1924 1,479,299

J. W. HELTZEL ROAD TAMPER AND STRIKE OFF Filed Feb. 10 1920 2Sheets-Sheet 1 in 7 d o o m m m (Q 9 Q N N N E- I 83 I awuwwtom to r JV-HGZZLEZ elm/M4 9 Jan. 1,1924 1,479,299

J. W. HELTZEL ROAD TAMPER AND STRIKE OFF Filed Feb. 10 1920 2Sheets-Sheet 2 JWHelEzel.

Patented Jan. l,1924. I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Application filed February 10, 1920. Serial No. 357,552.

curvature of. the bottom plate or member, as desired, in connection withmeans carried bythe device for hingedly or pivotally supporting the sameat the front or rear end of the road machine and providing actuatingmeans for lifting and dropping the device with force.

With the above and other objects in View which will appear as thedescription g ceeds, the invention resides in the comblnation andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that within the scope of whatis claimed, t e precise embodiment of the shown can be made the spiritof the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved tamper and strike ofi';

Figure 2 is a front edge view thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFigure 1, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through a portion of theattaching means for securing the I-b tom plate or member of the tamperand for adjusting the curvature of the latter.

igure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fi re 1. 1

eretofore, as shown in the To all whom it may concern.

g at arren, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented anew and useful Road Tamper and Strike Off, of which the following is aspecification.

his invention relates to an improved tamping and strike off mem-b May 7,1918 and my copending application on a road finishing for maklngconcrete and k roads, the device being adapted to pivoted at the rearend or back of a road machine and hingedly or pivotally sup beingprovided to raise and tion, a tamping action varying from a violent.t'amp or blow to a zero tamp in order to secure through packing of theconcrete or other dry mix or. the like, forming the road bed and tofacilitate the rish, above noted, road prod strike-off action so as tosecure .the necesmachines have been constructed with strike sarycurvature or crown, the device being off adapted for use in connectionwith various road making or finishing machines as mounted and actuatedin the manner described. road surface, but the employment of such- Afurther object of the invention is to curved- I-bea-ms as strike oflmembers necesprovi e an improved tamper and strike sltated that the samebe interchanged or reoff device, which will obviate the necessity ofbent, in order to produce the necessary curemploying arched I-beams orthe like, as shown in the patent above alluded to, thus obviating thenecessity of dismantling the th' whole machine, when it is necessary toalter I-beams to the required curvature, a diflicult the curvature ofthe beam, either to bend the task, owing to the Weight and size of theone applied to the machine or to substitute but required the placing ofnew a new one, in order to provide a proper I-beams which could only bedone by disthe crown of the mantling the machine." The present lnventionaims to overcome these difficulties and to provide a device which isrelatively simple in construction, strong and durable, but light inweight, and which obviates the necessity of employing curved I-beamsadapted to be employed as strike ofl' vmembers by engagement with thedry mix or concrete,

d or other material, and beams to which the same is connected, novelmeans being provided for regulating the without departing from came tothebotpatent to Par- These strips are preferably riveted or bolted orother material forming the road bed which, ispacked by the tampingmember and beveled off to the desired curvature, and employing saidmembers in perfectly straight or rectilinear form, thus obtaining theadvantage of the weight thereof without the necessity of dismantling themachine for varying the curvature desired, and providing a sheet memberwhich forms the bottom of the tamper, the same being flexible or capableof being bent into the desired curvature according to the crown to beproduced and means being interposed between the beams and the bottommember, so that various curvatures can be produced without employingextra parts, the same being adjust able in itself, while also beingadapted for attachment to a road finishing or building machine, andcapable of being raised and dropped, to give the required tamping effectwhich will result in an eflicient road bed.

In carrying out the above objects and referring to the drawings indetail, in which like reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views, my improved tamper and strike ofi,includes a flexible or bendable sheet 10, preferably of sheet or platemetal, such as steel, suitably treated if desired to prevent rusting andcorrosion, or formed of wood or other desired material. This bottomplate or member, is preferably in the form of a rectangularparallelogram, oblong in outline, in plan and has arranged across thesame longitudinally,

' as distinguished from the transverse'dimension or wid h of the device,with reference to the relation thereof to the width of road acted on orto be produced, a series of strips 11, which are preferably arranged inequidistantly spaced parallel relation and at the ends or sides of thebottom member or plate, defining the side limits of the road berelatively thin, but sufficiently stiff and rigid, to ive the requiredstiffening action or rigi ity to the bottom member or plate to resistthe strain exerted thereon in use and said strips are to the tamperbottom at a of points of the longitudinal dimensions thereof, that is asindicated at 12. Arranged across the bottom plate or member of thetamper and strike ofi', are a plurality, preferably a pair of heavyI-beams or the like, 13, the same being preferably arranged at spaceddistances from the front and rear edges 14 and 15 and parallel to saidedges and to each other. These beams are the same length as the lengthor expanding area of the bottom plate or member; and are secured to saidbottom plate, so as to cause the latter to assume a uniform curvaturefrom a medial line to the extremities thereof in order to produce thenecessary crown or curvature to the road.

I As shown, there is i terposed between the bottom faces or edgesbeveled, toward the plate 10,

. cuvature as desired.

beams at the bottom flanges 16 thereof, and the bottom plate or strips11 mounted thereon, a series of spacing members or blocks 17 of varyingthickness, and having their top ailild t e longitudinal center orintermediately of the transverse dimension of the plate and tamper. Thatis, the blocks are of less thickness toward the center, at which point,the blocks are relatively thin, or may be omitted, as found desirable,thus producing the necessary curvature to correspond to the crown of theroad desired. The beams are connected through the flanges 16 thereof tothe plate 10 through the medium of a series of bolts 18, which passthrough apertures 19 in the spacing members or blocks 17 and throughaligned apertures 20, 21 and 22 in the strips '11 and the flanges 16,respectively, nuts 23 being mounted on the threaded ends 24 of the bolts18, in order to bind against the flanges 16, to secure the arts inadjusted and connected relation. The bolts 18 are preferably providedwith tapered heads 25 seated in the tapered counter-sunk recesses 20, inorder to secure a proper binding and connecting action as well as toleave the bottom of the tamper or plate thereof, perfectly smooth, thepurposes of which, it is believed will be readily understood by oneacquainted with the art. It is also to be understood, that by varyingthe thicknesses of the blockor spacing members 17 or the lengths thereofas regards their axial dimenson, the curvature of the plate and thus ofthe tamper as an entirety can be arranged to suit the crown which it isdesired to produce. It is only necessary to dis- 1 lace the bolts andinterposed different spacing members or blocks between the I-beams andthe bottom plates in order to alter the When this is done, the and theparts connected described and as clearly bolts are reinserted up, asheretofore shown in the drawings, when the device wil again be ready foruse.

hen the device is used in connection with a road finishing or buildingmachine, for producing roads, sidewalks or the like, the device isadapted to be connected to the machine, and for this purpose, pivot orhinge ears 26, preferably two, are mounted on the device at spacedpoints from the ends thereof at the'edge portion 15, as by securing thesame to certain of the strips 11, preferably the second one from eachend, the hinged member or ears 26 are preferably in the form of platesbolted or riveted to the strips 11 and the bottom plate as indicated at27, the free ends projecting rearwardly at the edge portion 15 asparticularly indicated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, and thenrebent to form the eyes or ears, of circular formation as shown. 1 Theseears are designed to receive one or two horizontal tion,

pivots disposed in alignment, and suspended from the road machine withsaid edge p or in contact therewith and in curvature with respectthereto.

for connection with an operating mechanism to lift or raise and drop thetamper to pro duce the necessary tamping or packing effect, to insure asolid and efiicient road bed, and for this purpose, there is preferablymounted thereon, in alignment with the strips 11 and the hinge or pivotconnections are mounted thereon, at'suitably e ually distant spacedpoints from the ends 0 the plate, and directly secured to one of thebeams 13 at the top flanges 28 thereof, angular brackets 29, which areof right angular cross-section, and which are disposed in opposedrelation and-provided with apera pivot member of a connecting oractuating part. The brackets forming the bearings of the connecarebolted through the flanges 28 as indicated at 31, preferably at aplurality of points, in order to prevent the brackets from turning intheir spaced parallel relation where secured to the beam. The bearingportions of the brackets oppose each other in spaced parallel relationlongitudinally the strips 11 and abreast of the direction of travel ofthe machine lineally, when in use.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that by employing a sheet member forthe bottom of the tamper and strike ofi member as described, that thedevice may be made to act on a sixteen foot, eighteen foot on otherwidth road, and again have a two inch or three inch crown or any otherdesired. curvature, with an adjustment that can be quickly altered. Inthe patent to Parrish, and others employing Lbeams which are curved andparticularly in the Parrish patent three necessary to employ a differentbeam for each road of a different crown, from one to three inches, thusnecessitating the dismanmachine in order to i or crown. Also, the beamscan straight, without depriving the weight to give a dry mix the re:

be perfectly hinges 26, and merely drags on the concrete,

g the subject istance of the 30 degrees from said surface corresponding7 e device is also provided with means a road of a different curvature bdevice of the 1 tamper or strike off can be of and mak producing asmooth finish. The road finishing machine and pick-up device or cam, isshown in a separate application covering matter of the road fin buildingmachine and therefore the specific construction thereof has been to thisapplication, especially as the tamper and strike ofl device herein dis-When the device is used in connection with a road building machine orthe like for use as a tamper or strike off the edge portion 15 ispivoted back of the road'machine at one end of the cross rail thereofwith said edge portion serving as a strike off and with a zero tampingeffect, so that as the device other material is produced. The front endof the tamper at the edge portion 14 is raised to a desired height bysuitable means, as by a cam eccentric mechanism connected to thebearings formed by the brackets 29 and dropped on the concrete or othermaterial, thereby tamping and leveling the same.

t1on at the edge portion 14, diminishing toward the edge portion 15,where there is no (1 a zero tamping action is recorded. itates t eproper packing of the material and the crowning of the surface thereof.

When the device is used with a machine such as the Parrish patent abovereferred to, be placed under the front beam which of course need not becrowned when using my device. It is understood of course that in thiscase the device will necessarily be much less in width than shown in thedrawings a width corresponding to the beam being preferred. In case aroad is required to have a straight surface with or without one sidebeing tamped all that is necessary to do is to put in place spacers atthe proper thickness.

In using the device in connection with a as a strike off,

any adapted width from two inches to two feet as desired or demanded.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: i

1. The combination with a road finishing ing machine; of

a tamper and strike oif supported in an inclined position for curvingsaid plate according to the .for oscillation at one end thereof, saiddecrown of the road to be produced, in the divice being pivoted at oneedge and the other rection of its length, and supporting means edgeportion of the device being movable for the plate. in a limited arcuatepath so as to produce 6.-A tamper of the class described, coma tampingaction from a maximum to a prising an elongated rectangular plateminimum elevation conforming to the suradapted to span a road,stiffening members face of the road bed to be produced, and secured tothe plate to prevent bending varying from a violent action to-zero, atthe thereof in the direction of its breadth, said 10 other "end. a platebeing adapted to be curved according 2. The combination with a roadbuilding to the crown of the road to be produced, in machine; of atamper and strike off of the direction of its length, and supportingarcuate formation pivotally suspended at its means for the plate, saidsupporting means rear edge to the back of the machine, the includingmeans to hold the plate at a de- 15 front edge being disposed to form astrike sired curvature.

ofi adapted to engage the material of the 7. A tamper of theclass-described, comroad to form the necessary curvature or prising anelongated rectangular plate crown therefor, means connected to theforadapted to span a road, stilfening members ward edge to lift and dropthe same with secured to the plate 'to prevent bending 2 violent force.thereof in the direction of its breadth, said 3. The combination with atamper having plate being adapted to vbe curved according an archedformation; of pivot members at to the crown of the road to be produced,111 one edge thereof, bracket members carried the direction of itslength, and sup orting thereby forwardly of said pivot members, meansfor the plate, a plurality o? recti- 25 said pivot members being adaptedto suplinear I-beams arranged across the plate, port said tamper foroscillating movement spacing blocks of outwardly increasing and meansconnected with said brackets to thickness, between the beams'and plate,con actuate said tamper, said hinged edge servnections between the plateand I-beams ing as a strike oif. holding the plate in fixed curvedrelation so 4? A tamper and strike off for road buildand permittingadjustment of the curvature ing machines comprisin a bottom member,thereof, and means whereby the, said parts rectilinear beams exten ingacross said botmay be pivotally supported and actuated tom member, andspacing means between for tampmg and strike olf purposes. said beams andsaid bottom member to re- In testimony that I claimthe foregoing asmeanlskpermittingf aidljusimenti of slziidd parts. in the presence oftwo witnesses.

5. tamper o t e c ass escri e com- 1 prising an elongated rectangularplate JOSEPH E adapted to span a road, stifiening members Witnesses: 40secured to the plate to preventbending WM. J. HYDE,

thereof in the direction of its breadth, means I ALTHA JONES.

tain the latter in arched form, said spacing my own, I have heretoaflixed my signature

